a. Field of the Invention
The practice of artificial insemination of animals has made possible the improvement of the genetic quality of our herds of food stock and has become a widespread practice throughout the field of animal husbandry.
As a practical matter, artificial insemination of animals is accomplished by placing semen of the selected sire into an elongated plastic tube or xe2x80x9cstrawxe2x80x9d and freezing the straw and its contents down to liquid nitrogen temperatures. The thus frozen straw and its contents can then be stored indefinitely for transport and use where and when desired. Upon arrival at the place of use, the first problem encountered by the prospective user, the purchaser of the semen, is to thaw the straw and its contents down to the liquid state without damaging the semen. Such damage usually makes itself apparent in a decreased activity level of the semen when used.
Once thawed down to the optimal temperature, the body temperature of the animal to be inseminated, the next or second problem encountered is maintaining the thawed semen at that optimal temperature until used. Temperature fluctuations cause degradation of the quality of the semen. Degradation of semen quality is typically measured in terms of decreased activity and thus decreased probability of a successful impregnation of the female animal to be artificially inseminated.
The problem of maintaining the thawed semen at optimal temperature until used has several parts. Firstly, the semen is loaded into an artificial insemination gun or syringe. The temperature of the artificial insemination gun must be pre-set to the optimal temperature, else loading the semen into the artificial insemination gun will cause a temperature fluctuation in the syringe. The temperature of the artificial insemination gun must be pre-set to the optimal temperature, else loading the semen into the artificial insemination gun will cause a temperature fluctuation in the semen as the semen and the artificial insemination gun exchange heat to reach a common temperature.
Secondly, the loaded artificial insemination gun must transported from the place of the semen thaw to the place of use. In order to maintain optimal temperature of the semen while it is being transported, the loaded artificial insemination gun must be enclosed and protected from the weather and the enclosure must be both portable and temperature regulated.
Accordingly, the present invention is related generally to the field of apparatus for maintaining biological materials, more particularly fluids such as blood, semen, etc., at optimal temperatures in order to preserve viability during transport or storage.
The present invention is related more particularly to the field of apparatus for transporting thawed animal semen and maintaining such thawed semen at optimal temperature for subsequent use in insemination of an animal.
Yet more particularly, the present invention is related to apparatus useful in maintaining at a temperature slightly below the body temperature of the animal species of origin of the thawed animal semen that has been stored in frozen state by application of liquid nitrogen; and maintaining such thawed, now liquid, animal semen at such optimal temperature, which is slightly below the body temperature of the animal, until used.
b. Description of the Prior Art
Relevant prior art is known to include various tissue sample holders, semen thawing systems, temperature controlled containers for transport of biological materials, and an apparatus utilized to hold thermoplastic hypodermic syringes during sterilization.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,134, McIntyre, discloses a sample holder for maintaining blood samples at a pre-selected temperature. The device disclosed is not adapted to the use intended for the instant invention and accordingly does not provide for enclosure of the tissue sample holders in order to protect same from the weather, does not provide an interior enclosure shape which urges the lower end of the tissue sample holders into a compact area, and does not disclose a temperature control means useful during transport of the tissue sample holders.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,367, Rusteberg, discloses a portable holding chamber for thawed semen straws which is temperature controlled. The holding chamber disclosed depends for its energy source upon connection to a thawing unit and could therefore be inconvenient unless the thawing takes place within close proximity to the place of the semen use. Additionally, disconnection of the energy source also disconnects the temperature regulation circuitry of the disclosed device. Additionally, the holding chamber""s design provides for separate carriage of the semen straws and the xe2x80x9csheathsxe2x80x9d for the artificial insemination guns, that is, the holding chamber anticipates that the semen straws will be loaded into the artificial insemination guns at the point of usage which may be disadvantageous if the weather is inclement. Finally, the holding chamber, in use, is filled with water as a heat retention medium which adds to the weight of the holding chamber and detracts from the ease of transportability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,730, Spinello, discloses a container in which thermoplastic hypodermic syringes may be placed for sterilization. The container provides a semi-conical interior surface which forces the needles and needle ends of the inserted hypodermic syringes into a close proximity to one another. However, being designed for sterilization, the container is not designed to be portable nor is the container temperature regulated about a chosen temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,293, Nagle, discloses a temperature-controlled container for transporting biologic tissue. Being specialized for the transport of human tissue, the container disclosed provides for a shock resistant, transportable, temperature controlled container whose interior is shaped to contain a nutrient rich broth to sustain the life of the human tissue. The container disclosed is not suitable for the transport of loaded artificial insemination guns due to the shape and dimensions of its interior annular chamber and to its preferred construction material, closed cell polymers. The use of closed cell polymers is optimal for the disclosed objects of shock resistance and long term (120 hour) temperature stability, but fails to provide protection against breaking or bending for an elongated object such as a loaded artificial insemination gun.
The instant invention is of a portable, temperature controlled enclosure suitable for use in transporting a loaded artificial insemination gun from the point of thawing to the place of use. The numerous problems noted in the prior art of portable, temperature controlled enclosures are addressed in the instant invention and the result is a highly effective, easily transportable (can be clipped to and carried on the belt) enclosure which is uniquely suited to the preservation of live, active semen within the straw loaded into an artificial insemination gun.
Accordingly, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a portable, temperature controlled enclosure suitable for use in animal tissue, embryo, and semen transport.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a portable, temperature controlled enclosure suitable for use in animal tissue, embryo, and semen transport with an interior enclosure shape which urges the lower end of the tissue sample holders into a compact area.
It is yet another object of the instant invention to provide a portable, temperature controlled enclosure suitable for use in animal tissue, embryo, and semen transport which is lightweight and suitable for transporting a loaded artificial insemination gun.
It is yet another object of the instant invention to provide a temperature controlled enclosure suitable for use in animal tissue, embryo, and semen transport which is battery operated.
It is yet another object of the instant invention to provide a temperature controlled enclosure suitable for use in animal tissue, embryo, and semen transport which provides a light-weight, rapid temperature response heater in an energy conserving configuration.
It is yet a further and final object of the instant invention to provide a temperature controlled enclosure suitable for use in animal tissue, embryo, and semen transport which provides protection against breaking or bending for an elongated object such as a loaded artificial insemination gun.
1. the instant invention
3. outer shell
5. pocket on exterior of outer shell
7a. top half of zipper on outer shell
7b. bottom half of zipper on outer shell
9. zipper on pocket on exterior of outer shell
11. clear vinyl window through material of pocket
12. on-off switch
13. upper layer of insulation
15. lower layer of insulation
17. heater
19. heater pocket on interior of inner shell
21. inner shell
23. tapered liner or pocket
25. fold line
27. zipper
28. opening of tapered liner
29. foot of tapered liner
30. artificial insemination gun
32. semen straw
34. finger grip
36. plunger of artificial insemination gun
38. barrel of artificial insemination gun
40. adhesive backed aluminum foil
42. temperature sensor
44. electrical connection to temperature sensor
46. heater power lead
47. heater power lead
50. aluminum foil
51. silicone impregnated fiberglass cloth
52. silicone impregnated fiberglass cloth
54. chemically milled electrically resistive metallic foil
56. silicone impregnated fiberglass cloth
Note: those reference numbers not appearing in the above listing are not used.